The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 150,000 children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Created in 1992 by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. Thomas' daughter Wendy serves on the foundation's board of trustees.
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Foundation
Located in Columbus, Ohio, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is driven by a single goal: finding a loving family for every child waiting in foster care to get adopted. It is North America's only national nonprofit charity dedicated solely to finding permanent homes for the nearly 150,000 children waiting in foster care. Created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted, the Foundation implements results-driven national signature programs, foster care adoption awareness initiatives and research-based advocacy efforts.
The Foundation's efforts are led by president and CEO Rita Soronen. Soronen serves on the board of directors of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and the Ohio CASA/GAL Assn., and is a fellow for the Jefferson Fellowship for Executive Leadership. She is a recipient of the National CASA Association Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year and the national Angels in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. In January 2016, Rita was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Community Leadership from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio; and was named a YWCA Woman of Achievement in 2017.
The Foundation raises money to provide free educational resources, promote awareness, assist policymakers and employers, and support adoption professionals and agencies throughout the United States and Canada--to ensure that every child finds a forever home. Signature programs of the Foundation include Wendy's Wonderful Kids,a network of adoption recruiters throughout North America focused exclusively on North America's longest-waiting children; and Adoption-Friendly Workplace, tools and expert guidance for companies and parents to help support adoption benefits like financial reimbursement and paid leave.
The Wendy's Company supports the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption with in-store donation canisters, the Frosty Key Tag campaign and Halloween Coupon books.
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Wendy's Wonderful Kids
Wendy's Wonderful Kids is one of the signature programs of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The Foundation awards grants to public and private adoption agencies to hire adoption professionals who implement proactive, child-focused recruitment programs targeted exclusively on moving America's longest-waiting children from foster care into adoptive families.
Recently released research from a five-year evaluation of Wendy's Wonderful Kids shows that children referred to the program are up to three times more likely to get adopted.
Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiters work on caseloads of children the system has forgotten, ensuring they have the time and resources to give each child as much attention as he or she deserves. These recruiters employ aggressive practices and proven tactics focused on finding the best home for a child through the starting points of familiar circles of family, friends and neighbors, and then reaching out to the communities in which they live.
Wendy's Wonderful Kids has more than 280 recruiters working for children throughout the U.S. and Canada. The program has helped nearly 7,000 children be adopted by their forever families.
Adoption-Friendly Workplace
Adoption-Friendly Workplace is a signature program of the Foundation. The program works to make adoption an affordable option for every working parent. The goal is to provide companies with the support needed to provide adoption benefits to employees and recognize the forward-thinking employers that already have adoption benefits in place. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has a kit to establish adoption benefits in the workplace including how to implement financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees who adopt.
Every year, the Foundation compiles a list of the top 100 adoption-friendly workplaces - including the best small, medium, and large employers. Rankings in the list are based on the maximum amount of financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees who adopt. Honorees include the top 100, the top 10 by size and the top five in each industry.
Awards
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption received the Shining Star Award presented by Congressional Quarterly and the Creative Coalition at the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions for its significant work to find forever families for children in foster care.
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's "Wendy's Wonderful Kids" program earned a 2007 Adoption Excellence Award from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
References
External links
- Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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